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Poetry

Al Burda Award honours the significance of poetry as a powerful artistic medium that captures the noble life and unique character of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), through the beauty of language and the eloquence of expression.
By welcoming submissions in Classical Arabic, Nabati poetry, and Free Verse, the award reflects a profound appreciation for the richness of the Arabic language and its literary heritage across the Arab and Islamic worlds.
This poetry category serves as an exemplary tribute to the award’s namesake, Al Burda, drawing inspiration from the iconic Qasidat Al-Burda—a revered ode in praise of the Prophet (PBUH), composed by Imam Al-Busiri during the 7th century of the Islamic calendar (13th century).

Categories & Criteria

Classical Poetry
  • The poem must reflect the theme and focus of the Al Burda Award for the current year, which is ‘Social Cohesion and Unity’.  Any submission that does not adhere to this requirement will be disqualified.
  • The poem must be written in one of the two forms of classical Arabic poetry: vertical poetry or Dactyl poetry (tafilah) with full adherence to the rules of meter and rhythm applicable to each form.
  • The poem must be linguistically accurate, and the visual presentation should align with the poem’s content.
  • The submission must be an original and unpublished work, created solely by the applicant and not written in collaboration with any other party.
  • If the poem follows the vertical form, it should be between 15 to 30 lines (verses).
  • If the poem follows the Dactyl poetry (tafilah) form, it must consist of 20 to 35 lines.
  • The poem must not have been previously published in any print or digital medium, including newspapers, magazines, or websites, and must not have been submitted to other competitions.
  • Each poet is allowed to submit only one poem.
  • Submissions must be made digitally only, by uploading the poem through the application form available on the official website, in the specified Word format.
  • An audio recording of the full poem recitation must also be uploaded through the submission form on the official website.
Prizes
  • 1st Prize: AED 100,000
  • 2nd Prize:  AED 70,000
  • 3rd Prize:  AED 40,000
Free Verse Poetry
  • The poem must reflect the theme and focus of the Al Burda Award for the current year, which is ‘Social Cohesion and Unity’.  Any submission that does not adhere to this requirement will be disqualified.
  • The poem must be an original and new work attributed solely to the applicant.
  • The poet has the freedom to choose the number of lines, their length, and structure.
  • Emphasis on content: the focus is on the message and emotions conveyed by the poem rather than rigid adherence to rules.
  • The poem must not have been previously published in any print or digital medium, including newspapers, magazines, or websites, and must not have been submitted to other competitions.
  • Each poet is allowed to submit only one poem.
  • Submissions must be made digitally only, by uploading the poem through the application form available on the official website, in the specified Word format.
  • An audio recording of the full poem recitation must also be uploaded through the submission form on the official website.
Prizes
  • 1st Prize:  AED 70,000
  • 2nd Prize:  AED 50,000
  • 3rd Prize:  AED 40,000
Nabati poetry
  • The poem must reflect the theme and focus of the Al Burda Award for the current year, which is ‘Social Cohesion and Unity'.  Any submission that does not adhere to this requirement will be disqualified.
  • The poem must comply with the technical standards of Nabati poetry, including meter, rhyme, poetic structure, and linguistic composition.
  • The poem must be an original and new work created solely by the applicant and must not be co-authored or created in collaboration with any other party.
  • The poem should be between 15 - 30 lines in length.
  • The poem must adhere to the authentic Nabati style in terms of structure and vocabulary. Any work that predominantly uses colloquial dialects or poetic forms outside the traditional Nabati framework will be disqualified.
  • The poem must not have been previously published in any print or digital medium, including newspapers, magazines, or websites, and must not have been submitted to other competitions.
  • Each poet is allowed to submit only one poem.
  • Submissions must be made digitally only, by uploading the poem through the application form given on the official website, in the specified Word format.
  • An audio recording of the full poem recitation must also be uploaded through the submission form on the official award website.
Prizes
  • 1st Prize: AED 100,000
  • 2nd Prize:  AED 70,000
  • 3rd Prize:  AED 40,000